Real Estate features

Kapalua unveils changes at The Bay Course

November 29, 2018

KAPALUA - Kapalua Golf recently unveiled a number of improvements to its award-winning Bay Course, Bay Course Golf Shop and Kapalua Golf Academy. The enhancements are part of a multi-year property improvement plan aimed at further solidifying Kapalua as a top golf destination in Hawaii and the world.

The Bay Course has been rerouted to improve pace of play and create a memorable and challenging final stretch of holes.

The new first hole is the former seventh hole, an uphill 355-yard par four that will get golfers off to a good start. The new 16th and 17th holes (formerly holes four and five) play along and over the ocean, and the new 18th hole (formerly the sixth hole) at The Bay Course is a challenging and intriguing uphill par five.

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The 17th hole at The Bay Course is Maui’s only over-the-ocean par-three.

The Bay Course Golf Shop has been relocated to the newly enhanced Village Center at Kapalua. The Village Center is now home to the Bay Golf & Resort Shops, Taverna Restaurant, the Kapalua Golf Academy and administrative offices.

The Kapalua Golf Academy has also been redesigned and modernized. The academy practice range and tee areas have been expanded and two hitting decks resurfaced with Platinum Paspalum turf.

A massive, 9,000-square-foot putting green has been added next to the Village Center to provide guests with an additional short-game practice location or warm-up spot prior to Bay Course rounds. The new practice green was turfed with Tif-Eagle to be consistent with the putting surfaces found on the golf course.

"All of the improvements are focused on continuing to create the best experience for golfers, students at the Kapalua Golf Academy and resort guests," said Alex Nakajima, general manager, Kapalua Golf & Tennis. "The enhancements to the Bay Course routing and operations will influence pace of play in positive fashion, while the improvements made to the Kapalua Golf Academy will continue to position the academy as the premier golf instruction facility in the world."

The Bay Course improvements follow a complete renovation to the Plantation Course golf shop and retail center (completed September 2018), and precede an extensive, multi-million dollar enhancement project to the Plantation Course designed by the renowned golf course architect team of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw.

On-course work on the Plantation Course is scheduled to begin in February of 2019 and be completed in November 2019. Coore and Crenshaw will assist with the extensive course refinement project.

In addition, Troon's Design/Development/Agronomy team, as well as longtime Kapalua resident and Golf Channel personality Mark Rolfing, will also provide input on the project.

The course enhancement project is aimed at refining and revitalizing the 27-year-old golf course and will include resurfacing all greens with Tif Eagle Bermuda; renovating every bunker on the golf course; and re-grassing tees, fairways and roughs with state-of-the-art Celebration Bermuda turf.

New tee complexes will also be added, including additional forward tees to help increase guest enjoyment, and several new tournament tees will also be built on key holes to further test the world's best PGA Tour professionals during the Sentry Tournament of Champions.